However, we do a large quantity of stained glass restoration for churches as most church windows need rebuilding and restoration every 50 to 75 years. “Of course, we still create church windows too, but not many new churches are being built these days. Judging by their project gallery they are equally adept at historically inspired glass, such as doorway transoms in the Frank Lloyd Wright Tree of Life mode, or a three-part, entry hall series emulating the designs of Arts and Crafts architects Charles and Henry Greene. These range from simple windows to massive stained-glass domes. “I think most people would be surprised to know that about 80 percent of the new stained glass and leaded glass we design and build is for a home.” He reports that today they are creating more and more bright and very aesthetic pieces for residences. “Stained glass is often thought of as ‘church glass’ but that is no longer the case,” he says. Meanwhile, on the left coast, Tom Rigdon at The Hyland Studio in Santa Clara, California, sees a similar seismic shift. “We’ve been in business since 1895 and seen a lot in that time,” he says. Indeed, their skills range from figural compositions for Boston University’s Marsh Chapel to abstract designs for residences. “Not every house wants a $10,000 window,” observes Ryan, “but maybe they want a $5,000 window.” In any event, he says the technical challenges are rarely a problem.

You should then use a glass cutter to cut the glass in both straight lines and curves depending on your design. What has taken up a lot of the slack, however, is restoration, conservation, and residential work, Though not the same scale as ecclesiastical in either size or complexity, the commissions keep coming. To make the stained glass, you must first start by tracing the pattern onto the glass with a thick marker. Diocese bankruptcies have also taken their toll. “Years ago, ecclesiastical work was everybody’s bread-and-butter,” he says, “but over the last 20 years, that has diminished as religious denominations like the Catholic Church are merging and closing dioceses.” For example, in 2014 the Catholic Archdiocese of New York announced it would restructure 112 parishes-one third of its 368-into 55 new congregations. Ryan puts a finer point on the multiple sides of the industry. At Burnham LaRoche in Medford, Massachusetts, Kevin M.

Stained glass design policy